Eco Tours Halong bay Where to go and What to do?

Halong Tours Booking introduces some eco-friendly activities in Halong bay - Catba area and a piece of knowlegde about Eco tourism. "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."

1. Some eco tour products and activities in and around Halong bay:

Cycling tours: tour with main transportation is bicycle; You can join this activity in Cat Ba Island. In stead of taking a bus or car, you can contact us for a bike and ride to Halong bay. It is 170 km far and takes 7 hours in biking. Read more Halong bay map

Halong bay map

Homestay tours: Come to visit and stay with the local people; the homestay can be in Cat Ba island, in some fishing villages on Halong bay. with this tour you  can work on the farm with the real farmer or being a fisherman with local people on the bay. Homestay can be on the way from Hanoi to Halong bay. It is Dong Trieu Potery village. This place is suitable if you get to Halong bay from Hanoi by Bike.

Kayaking and rafting tour: tours with main activity is kayaking or rafting. Almost of overnight Halong tours with Cruise will offer this activity; Example: Alova Gold Cruise Halong tour 3 days 2 nights offers 1 full day to kayaking; This kayking day is to discover Halong bay in a quite area with main activities is kayaking and swimming. biking_in_catba

Charity tours: tour with the main purpose is help the local community or the disadvantaged people. The children who live on the floating villages on Halong bay need your help/ assistance of food, clothes, book, medicine...They have no money and bad traffic condition to join the shool. Please come to help them.

National park tours: Tours with the main destination is the national parks or natural reserves. In Halong bay area, we have 2 National Parks: Bai Tu Long National Park and Cat Ba National Park. You can book tour with Halongtoursbooking.com to join both those National Park to discover the natural heritage - Halong bay

Trekking tours: tour to the remote area with main activity is trekking or hiking; Trekking activities is very popular choice when you take a tour to Cat ba National Park.

Rock climbing tours: tour to the mountainous area and main activities is climbing. In Halong bay, you can take this tour for 3 days 2 nights - overnight in Cat Ba.
Example Itinerary can be:
Cat Ba Rock climbing in Monkey Island
Morning: Rock climbing
8:30am – 9:00am: Coastline ride into the small farming village of Lien Minh
9:00am – 9:30am: Basic instruction and introduction to Rock Climbing
9:30am – 12:30pm: Guided Rock Climbing in Butterfly Valley
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Delicious lunch on a bee farm with fresh local foods
1:30pm – 2:00pm: Return to Cat Ba TownChildren_on_Halong_bay

Community education tours: tourist and tour guides will conduct a short training for the local people about personal hygiene or language.

Camping tours: happened on the beach or in the Cat Ba national park; The camping can be on the deserted beach with double tent or at ready-set-up basecamp (also on beach) with bamboo hut depending on the weather condition and availability. Camping sites can be on Viet Hai Fishing Village or other suitable beaches around Cat Ba Island area. The crew (some people) from support boat will cook our dinner and make sure we have a comfortable night, dinner and overnight at the campsite.

2. What is Ecotourism?
The Definition
Ecotourism is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990).
Conservation
Offering market-linked long-term solutions, ecotourism provides effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing bio-cultural diversity and helps protect the natural and cultural heritage of our beautiful planet.

Communities
By increasing local capacity building and employment opportunities, ecotourism is an effective vehicle for empowering local communities around the world to fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable development.wwf_logo

Interpretation
With an emphasis on enriching personal experiences and environmental awareness through interpretation, ecotourism promotes greater understanding and appreciation for nature, local society, and culture.

Principles of Ecotourism
Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:
Minimize impact.
Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.
Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate.

Enjoy Lobsters When Visiting Halong Bay

When you are on your favourite Vietnam Tours and you think you have marvelled enough on the beauty of Halong Bay, then you have only satisfied one of your senses.

Of course the landscape, the emerald sea, the more or less 2000 limestone karst and the beautiful junk boat cruises leave nothing but beautiful visual memories. World travellers say that if you want classical music and refined culture you go to Prague, but if you want amazing wonders of nature you go to Halong Bay. This was a fact recognized worldwide as Halong Bay was officially named one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2012. On top of that, since 1994, the bay was already listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But do you know that the perfect Halong Bay experience of your best Vietnam tours is more than what meets your eyes? V’spirit Cruise Halong

Once you reach Bai Chay City when your Vietnam Tours adventure brings you to Halong Bay it is recommended that you take a journey down gourmet lane as you take a sample of the city’s delicious seafood selections. All the seafood is fresh as they were ordered by the restaurant owners early in the morning directly from the boat of fisherman docking on the beach. This means you can be sure that the flavour of the sea is still not lost on the lobster that is going to be served to you. If you want the surest way to eating the freshest lobster, then go to restaurants that have lobster tanks where you can choose a live lobster to be cooked exclusively for you by the resident chef. You will enjoy a sumptuous meal of lobster cooked Vietnam style and this means that only fresh ingredients are used to cook your live lobster. Paradise Cruise

Enjoy Lobsters When Visiting Halong Bay

Once you have tasted the best lobster on your Vietnam Tours travel in Bai Chay City, it is time to enjoy your lobster to the next level. On Halong Bay’s biggest island, you will experience fine dining on board a floating restaurant. And what could be better than eating your favourite seafood on top of the bay that offers its own bounty. On Cat Ba Island, seafood is ordered from floating villages that have their own aquaculture. Residents of these floating houses tend lovingly their fish cages full time since it is attached to their house and that means only seafood of top quality is going to be served on your table.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to pack your plate and fork and be ready to enjoy lobsters in the very beautiful Halong Bay.

How to get to Halong Bay

Thanks to its popularity, Halong Bay cruise is quite accessible from just anywhere in Vietnam and neighbouring countries. Many visit Halong Bay on a larger international cruise ship which dock in Cai Lan International Port (about 10 minutes from Halong Bay). Others choose to fly to Hanoi (180km) or Hai Phong (80km) airport and take a road trip to the Bay. 

By Car 
The most popular way to get to Halong Bay is by road, which follows Highway 18 that passes by Tuan Chau Island, Bai Chay Road and Hon Gai Bridge. If you travel from Hanoi, most cruise trips will arrange transfer from your hotel to the pier for you (either cruise bus or private car). An average trip without traffic will take at least 4 hours for one way. Read more: V’spirit crusie Halong bay

By Air 
From Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, you can fly either to Hanoi or Hai Phong Airport and get a car transfer to Halong Bay. From other Southeast Asia countries, you also need to fly into one of these two airports to get access to Halong Bay. 

How to get to Halong Bay

By Train 
There used to be a rail-line that connects Hanoi and Halong Bay in 2010, however, it has been discontinued and thus traveling by train to Halong Bay is not possible.  Read more: Travel to Vietnam

Other Means 
You can also travel to Halong Bay on helicopter which takes about 1.5 hour and it is only possible from Hanoi. This service is exclusively run by Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company and it is quite a costly option to reach Halong Bay.

Hon Chong travel guide

Whatever the tourist brochures tell you, Hon Chong is not the Halong Bay tours of the south -- it is as simple as that.

A few rock pinnacles and limestone karsts do not a Ha Long make.

That doesn't mean that it isn't a worthwhile destination in its own right, however. A welcoming seaside village set on a rugged coastline, Hon Chong makes for a decent R&R stop on any Mekong tour. This is especially the case if you're headed towards Cambodia for the overland crossing with Kep. Read more: V'spirit cruise Halong bay

Though it sees a flood of Vietnamese holidaymakers around Tet, it can feel practically deserted for the rest of the year, making it the ideal locale to lay back in a hammock and unwind.

Hon Chong travel guide

Though the town's sole road fronts along a lovely pine-tree fringed beach, the swimming in Hon Chong isn't very good. The sand is too slimy, and the water too shallow -- those fisherman walking 20m from shore? They aren't on stilts. Read more: Vietnam tours

But the sand is still great for getting some sun, or enjoying a seafood lunch. You feel more active than this, the Chua Hang Grotto makes for a worthwhile afternoon out.

Orientation
Hon Chong consists of only one beachfront road, along which all the town's hotels and restaurants are located. There is no hospital, bank or post office here, though on a good day, Ha Tien is only a few hours away over a dreadful road.

Internet doesn't seem to have quite made a splash in Hon Chong yet. For the moment, An Hai Son Resort has WiFi available in their restaurant, and you may be able to convince them to let you use one of the computers in their office.